The Moonlit Stone
by melmia123
Summary: Catalina Lockhart. Beautiful. Educated. Troubled. After a horrible crash landing, she finds herself in the feudal times of Japan. Worst of all, a powerful demon lord makes off with her only hope of returning home! [x RATED T for now x]
1. Intro Prologue

**oOo**

 **'The Moonlit Stone'**

 _By MelMia123 of FanFiction_

 **oOo**

 **Legal Mumbo-jumbo:** All rights reserved to the creators of the Inuyasha manga and anime series. All original characters and plot lines of the creation are copy written by the writers, publicist, directors, and producers. Certain names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of this author's imagination or are used fictionously, and any resemblance to actual person, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. No part of this story, nor the author of this idea, receive any money from this project as it was created for the sole purpose of entertainment and review under the Fair Use Act.

 **Acknowledgments:** The author of this story extends her deepest gratitude to her readers from all around the world. You are the motivation and reason why this story was created. Because this story is for you, the author wishes you to provide any feedback you have on making this the best project for the author. In addition the author wishes to thank the internet for providing a mass result of resources to improve facts used, also Microsoft Word for the use of the program from which to type legibly so the author doesn't have to use chicken-scratch handwriting to display to the readers.

The author also acknowledges having taken personal liberties with the timing of actual events depicted within this fictional plot.

 **Story Introduction** **:** Catalina Lockhart. Beautiful. Educated. Troubled. After a horrible crash landing, she finds herself in the feudal times of Japan. Worst of all, a powerful demon lord makes off with her only hope of returning home! Between nightmares of her past, greedy demons, and illegible notes, Cat must overcome it all and more in order to get her reality back in control, before she loses her sanity. Will it be all for not? Will a new beginning be an option?

 **Authors Blather:** *Spoiler Included* Hello Readers! Just letting you all know, this is my SECOND Fanfiction tale so I hope you all enjoy, also, my second attempt at this story (don't ask why, it just is...). Just a heads up, this is a Sesshomaru and OC pairing. Yes, I would like to emphasis that I LOVE Sesshomaru-Sama. Just the thought of his character is enticing to say the least! Though I have read a lot of his pairings, my favorite would have to the SeshxKag, even though I do believe she should stay with Inuyasha. However, something always told me that maybe, Sesshomaru deserves someone else. I know some may say Kagura, *SPOILER STARTS* but that never went anywhere since she passed *SPOILER ENDS* I want this to be a continuation of the series from where the story ends, shortly after the final defeat of Naraku, and I understand adding a new character is complicating, but I want to incorporate this new persona to a point where my readers could feel rapport for the new additions, and in order to that, I will try to incorporate history tid-bits, to help better understand her 'current' situations. I want you, my readers, to fall in love/hate/pity/praise/etc. with this character, just as you have fallen for the others, and with that, I want you to fall in love with THEIR story. I, as the Author of 'The Moonlit Stone', will not speak much before and after these posted chapters, because I want this to be a constant flow of the story. I will try to insert as much history between the lines, in which then, is when the real story can begin. Until then, enjoy the tale of a demon lord and a human girl.

On another note, I strive on follows, favorites, and reviews (constructive and demeaning), so please, I beg in the corner of my cell, give them to me. I need them to feed my fragile soul. Anything helps. I will try to update every so often, but I will not promise it will take little time. I have much plotted out for these characters, so I must wish you bear with me. This story is not my only baby, but please enjoy. Also, please excuse any poor attempts at translations. I don't know Japanese, but instead I use a translator. If it's wrong, let me know. I do this more in the beginning so I don't have to keep saying "he said in Japanese", or "she said in English". It may be annoying, but at least you learn a little and get more feel to Cats perspective.

Dedicated to my beloved readers

 **oOo**

 **'Prologue'**

 **oOo**

Location: Kyoto, Japan (Edge of Western territory). Near end of the winter season. Midnight.

The air was chilled within the darkest, and deepest, reaches of a massive forest near a small village currently named Kyoto of Japan. Mountains in the far off distance of the horizon stood with a thick layer of snow that covered the rocky grounds. Just as the frost covered the lands, it too, floated in the atmosphere. The thick gray sky loomed over the earth with a mass of full clouds, threatening the lands of more flakes to come. No sun shone as the blanket of clouds restricted the light sun-rays from caressing the below habitat, and dry icicles glistened from within the mountain caves that housed many fierce beasts, which currently was undergoing a deep sleep of hibernation to ensure its own survival given the circumstances.

It was winter in this moment of time and place, and was a peaceful one at that.

The nearby villagers of Kyoto were currently in their own huts, surrounded by their family, friends, and warmth of a nice inner fire and a hearty meal for dinner. Laughter could be heard from outside some of these homes while others were quiet in preparation for their bedtime. Yes the village was at peace, and the people who reside in these small huts, were quite content with their situations. However, since the defeat of the horrible demon named Naraku, many other demons have been lurking for power, but because they reside on the western territory, they truly believe their great Lord is, no doubt, watching and protecting them from a distance. They knew he was a demon, but as long as their lives didn't cross his path, there was no risk, and it was nice knowing if another demon did, it would be one less worry. Yes, they were protected and since the hanyou death, no further incidents have occurred, and they were grateful.

However, that may be for the village, many miles away from the safety of the town, there was a campsite that was surrounded by three beings. One of which was a small child, roughly seven years of age, a small green creature, presuming an imp demon, and a large, two-headed dragon-like creature.

Their Lord was away for the moment, and the current guardians of the child were these two inhuman creatures resting by the fire, but the child did not mind in the least. In fact, she was happily skipping around a clearance portion of the dense forest without a care. Her outfit consisted of a two-layered kimono, patterned with shapes of different hues of royal blue, split-toe socks, and zori sandals to protect her from the frozen elements below. The imp and dragon watched her from the distance as she became preoccupied with her own delight. The green one pondered on the child's reasons, 'wasn't that idiot hanyou supposed to be her caretaker?'

She loved the snow and a smile struck her features as she concocted a mischievous plan to involve her companions in her play. She bent down and scooped up a decent amount of the cold and frozen powder with her back towards her friends. The imp noticed this and began to question the child's mysterious actions in his mind, and called out to her, "Rin-chan, Sesshomaru-sama would not like you wandering off so far from the pack!"

"Be right there, Jaken-sama," the child smiled as she compacted the substance into an oblong sphere. As she turned around, with her hands behind her back, she began to head back to the camp.

"Rin-chan..." the imp asked warily, "what is it you have behind your back?"

Her toothy grin spread across her child-like features that would warm any heart who saw, but the imp knew this façade. She was up to something, and he felt she would soon show him what it was.

"A DEMON!" she hollered, while she pointed in a part of the forest that required the imp to face away from her, a snowball safe in her other hand behind her back. As expected, he jumped up in the spot he stood, aiming his staff of two heads in the direction of the assumed problem. The next thing he knew was a soft, cold pound behind his head. She got him... Again.

He turned back towards the child, who stood with a face of accomplishment. "RIN! You insufferable child! What if it was a real demon?! Haven't you heard of the boy who cried wol-umph." Before he could finish the word, another snowball got him square in the mouth.

She was having a blast, despite the imp's antics, and laughed till she fell to the snowy floor, from the scene of her friend choking down the frozen ammo.

Once he dusted off the offending debris and composed himself, he leered at his fellow ward, but in the corner of his eye, he spotted something behind Rin, near the tree line. As his vision cleared more, he saw it. A pair of large glowing-red eyes directed towards the child.

"A d-d-d-DEMON!" he pointed aggressively behind the child.

It burst through the trees with intent to hunt as Rin stood, her chuckle dying down. "Yeah, right, Jaken-sama. Like I'd fall for that."

The imp ran passed the child, as she gave him a questionable look, "Jaken?"

He stood in between Rin and the demon, staff on the offence, just as the dragon creature stood. "Stay behind me!" The imp ordered.

As she turned around, she saw that he was indeed not lying about there being a demon behind her, and it was currently charging straight for them. "Jaken-sama, what is it?" she panicked.

It took a moment for the imps view to identify what sort of trouble charge their way, but once his mind confirmed, his beak slowly opened to utter a barely noticeable, "a fire-rat demon..."

The girls' eyes widened with realization. "But, Jaken-sama, your staff only-"

"I know," he interrupted, "I'm going to need you to run on my call. Ah-Un and I will take care of it."

She nodded in understanding. This was not the first time they encountered a demon without Lord Sesshomaru-sama, but this time was different. It was a fire-rat!

The beast was enclosing on them fast on its four strong legs, its sharp yellow fangs stained with blood from a previous encounter. Obviously, its hunger still unsatisfied.

"Ready..." The imp sounded.

The nearer it got, the more ready the trio prepared for their part. The dragon named Ah-Un stood next to his imp companion, ready to blast a lightning bolt at the opponent. The imp stood with the staff, the carving of the man's head directed towards the beast. The child prepared to run into the forest away from the battle, just as soon as the order would be made.

The fire-rat beast charged at its fullest speed, its feet thrumming against the frozen ground, making the earth rumble with every impact. It was getting close, and in a moment later, the imp yelled the command, "NOW!"

In a split second, the child ran straight into the snow covered forest, the only aid to her sight was the fires yellow dim that radiated against the exposed parts of the trees. Her feet sunk into deeper parts of the snow where it was hard to tell the depth, making it harder to run. Behind her, she could hear the tell-tell signs of Ah-Un's thunderbolt lightning, and Jaken staff releasing a furry of fire, simultaneously. A moment later, she could hear the roar of the beast. Rin stopped in her tracks to take a moment to look behind her. It sounded like they won, but before she could get her hopes up, she heard the beasts roar again, followed by Ah-Un's cry of pain.

"Oh, no. They're hurt!" She whimpered. Something was wrong, and the thrumming of the ground increased, indicating something was getting near. Her eyes caught a rustle of bushes as cracks of branches echoed in the forest. It was coming for her!

Her eyes widened once the beast was sighted, and her heart pounded. She began to run as fast as she could with all her might, lifting the kimono for more flexibility.

"Please! Someone! Anyone! Help!" She cried between strides as the fire-rat demon came closer to his next meal.

As the child continued running, a sound of thunder echoed through the forest, followed by a flash of light that illuminated the thick clouds above. She did not know what was going on, but did not want to look back and see that creature so close to her being. After a few seconds of this phenomenon, a loud crash was heard, followed by the wail of a particular fire-rat demon, and she could no longer hear the presence of a monster behind her.

She did not want to risk it, but she took a chance to look behind her as she was running. To her dismay, she could not properly see anything, because just as she turned her neck, she tripped over an exposed root and landed in the softness of a patch of thick snow.

She shut her eyes, waiting for the beast to finally catch and devour her, but it never came. Hesitantly, she opened her eyes and surveyed her surroundings.

In the distance, she saw the demon dead and pinned to a tree by something she had never laid eyes upon before. She took a moment to attempt to identify her savior, but even unconsciously making her way towards the scene, this... this thing was unknown to her. It was hard to describe, even staring at it for a while. Smoke was pouring up from this contraption along with pieces of it scattered around the forest floor. A part if it was clear and she could see through it, but from her perspective, it was hard to make out what was inside. The machine was propped up by a part of the tree that also impaled the beast. It looked as though the branch protruded the vessel through the clear part, as smoke billowed out of the cracks.

The child tried to get a better view by climbing up the tree in between the beast and the machine. As the smoke cleared, the clear part of the machine became more visual, and the child could now see the contents.

Her eyes widened once they laid upon something she did not expect.

There, lying unconscious in the machine, was a woman, and she was hurt. Apparently, the branch, that impaled both the creature and the machine, had split and one end stabbed her savior on the side of her stomach.

Rin gasped at this new finding and attempted to wake the woman, but her hands could not reach her, due to some form of a clear, hard, barrier that was part of this foreign contraption, so she banged on it with her fist, in an attempt to wake this unconscious woman, who was her rescuer.

 **oOo**


	2. Bang

**oOo**

 **'Bang'**

 **oOo**

 _Catalina looked outside of her passenger side window as her husband drove their SUV from couples counseling towards their daughter's elementary school. So much on her mind. Work. New project. New employees. Dinner. Divorce… but it was her husband's meek voice that drew her attention from the stress that was her thoughts._

 _"Emma's birthday is coming up," his voice at an attempt of stotic. The session at the counselor's office was anything but productive. Being civil with each other in the presence of their daughter was pretty much the only thing they'd agreed upon._

 _She did not respond to his statement, but that did not stop his persistence to fix what was wrong with their relationship, so he continued anyways. "I think we should get everything finalized after the party. It will be devastating, but we shouldn't have this spoil our daughters moment, especially since it might be the last time..." He paused there and looked at his wife from the corner of his eye, while still paying attention to the traffic ahead. 'Finalized'. He meant the divorce papers. As much as he begged, her mind was set for the separation, but till that time came, he vowed he would continue his pursuits on altering her decision. For the past week since she learned of his wrongdoing, they have attended counseling, but she had yet to talk directly to him, and chose rather to speak to the psychologist by referring to her husband as 'he', 'him', or 'that man'. It didn't matter to her if he was in the same room. The whole time, he felt horrible, and just wanted to turn back time._

 _He sighed, as he postponed hope for a direct response._

 _"I am sorry…" he sighed to no one, again._

 **oOo**

Numb amnesia.

That is was what she felt, for what seemed like eons, when consciousness steadily creeped its way to Catalinas nerves. Her eyes gradually drifted open to view a totally different perspective than that of before. Her head lay on the shattered dashboard with her peripheral view in sight of her heated breaths that created fog in the air, and on the broken glass that surrounded her lips.

As she rose her head, she licked her lips from the saliva that escaped through a corner of her open mouth, and begun to look around. That was when pain overthrew her senses, seeming to radiate from both her head and left side of her abdomen.

She held in a hiss as left hand found something jabbed into her side. Amnesia had begun to wear away as she realized what had happened.

She had crashed, and crashed hard.

The once clear glass of the windshield was now shattered in its place, still attached, but unable to be seen through. Sparks hissed and buzzed from the console in her wake, though housed in glass, the digitizer under the shards were exposed and flickered obscure images of the dash consol.

Her eyes wandered around the small area she was confined to, in search for a particular object. A deep frown resulted when she could not see it from her perspective. At one point it was her main priority of protection, and since it was not in sight, she was determined to search for what was lost.

The sharp pain in her side snapped her away from her visual search that told her to focus on herself before she'd continue her search. Now with a sharp intake of breath, she held it deeply in her lungs, and begun to pull away from the protruded object jabbed in her being.

Damn the pain was immense, but had to be done. Slowly but surely, she was separated from the branch and with a release of her held breath, she inwardly thanked the heavens that it was not in harms way of any important internal organs. Nevertheless, the bleeding will be a problem if not taken action soon.

She had to get out, and fast, as the blood begun to slowly flow from her wound.

As she maneuvered herself vertical in the solemn seat, so her feet were against the broken windshield, she spotted what she searched for earlier, laid on the ground next to the foot petals.

She released a sigh of relif as a small bundle of blue sheets nudged softly, just as its contents peaked out a patch of golden fur and a small whimper of a pup. "Wait here. I'll be back," Catalina whispered to the bundle.

Now, with her eyes set on her feet on the windshield, determination to get out overcame the bloody pain in her side.

It took three solid kicks before the glass gave in and completely shattered to the frozen floor below, but it was the sudden gust of cold air that blew her out of sanity of a long moment of time.

'Winter? Was that why I could see my breath? Why its soo cold?'

She peered through the cavity of the vessel she was in, now free from protection from the elements. Snow covered trees and patches of the white powder on the ground. Indeed, she was in wintertime.

It was all too surreal for the woman as she climbed out through where the windshield use to be, but it was the cold water that made her lose her grip and slip to the ground below, on top of the broken glass.

"Sonofabitch!" she quickly bit out as the painful pressure, released from her stomach, once she hit the floor with a unceremonious thud. She hugged herself tight, being as her thin black silk pajamas were no match for the icy air. As soon as the pain subsided to bearable, she eyed the side of the vessel and saw three side compartments. With a few scoots over, she made her way to the compartment in search for the first aid kit.

Compartment one housed tools, parts, and books. Compartment two had food, water, notepads, and more damn books…

'Third times the charm, right Cat?' she mused as she scooted to the last compartment. 'Damn him if has more books…' she prayed as she grasped the handle and tugged at the latch.

'Sweet Jebus!' She eyed the contents of the last compartment. A large backpack complete with attached sleeping bag, plain cardboard boxes of unknown contents, men's cloths, and… books.

'I will damn you to hell when I see you again,' she promised to nobody nearby as she clasped her hand against her open wound. She eyed the clothes with a plan to use them as a compress against the flowing blood, but as she begun to pull out the clothes, that's when she spotted a large white box with a red cross on its cover.

'Thank you!' she smiled as she pulled out the large and heavy first aid kit, and plopped in between her legs. With a thumb flip of the latch, the box flew open, only to confuse Catalina with its additional contents.

'What the hell?' Her mind echoed over and over again as she reached in and pulled out a bottle of jack, a 9mm Smith and Wesson handgun and a 20 pack of rounds. She opened the box of rounds for inspection, only to witness two bullets missing. She checked the chamber of the gun, and did not see them loaded either.

'Why would-' her thoughts halted as a wake of pain radiated from her abdomen, nearly clouded her vision, and proceeded to place the liquor, pistol, and ammo to her side. 'That can wait, time for bandages.'

As she took out and unwrapped the gauze and medical tape, she eyed the bottle of jack. 'Think I'll need a swig…'

Moments later after a successful cover was placed over the open wound, she laid against the hard metal of the vessel, her breath ragged from the pain, that even a sweat formed in these cold circumstances. She was thankful she at least had wore her black house shoes and not barefoot, but it would only be a matter of time before the snow melted into them. Her black silk blouse was ruined with a large rip where the tree plunged into her.

She did not think to assest to damage at this point, nor her surroundings, as her body begun its healing process. 'I just need to rest," her eyes drifted closed, "then I can work on getting back-'

 _CrTck_

The sound of a broken twig caught her attention and her eyes back open. 'Someone is coming,' her mind alerted, just as she reached for the handgun to her side. She quietly rose from her sat position to a crouch as she begun the load the gun as quietly as possible. The sound came from the other side of the vessel, from within the forest, so she peered around the metal craft to the origin of the sound.

It was a matter of time before a man in white appeared from within the forest, headed towards her direction. But it was when she racked the pistol, that it made the _sch-klikt_ sound and the man halted in his steps about twenty yards away.

'He could hear from that distance?' She eyed the man around the corner of the vessel and watched him with uneasy intentions. 'What unusual cloths. And what's with the tats on his face? He must be some kind of gang member. I better not chance this.' The stranger took a few steps forward and that was when Catalina stood steadily, pistol aimed at the unwelcome visitor. He stopped again as he stood there with an impassive expression.

"Don't come any closer," she ordered the stranger with her gun drawn towards the man a few yards away.

"I'm warning you!'

 **oOo**

Earlier that day…

Sesshomaru had departed from his ward near the village Rin had visited with his hanyou and his priestess. No doubt she would visit the campsite, only to find he wasn't there, and would wait till he arrived back.

It had been shortly only after the defeat of Naraku that he allowed his brother and his woman to become caretaker of the little human. Surely the priestess would aid her is priestess training as well, but it was his presents nearby that always sparked her free spirit to visit him. True, he enjoyed her company, but she needed to live amongst the humans for her sake. Every now and then, while his patrol of his lands crossed her travels, she would seek him out, no doubt his brother would remark his approach. However, the short reunion would have to wait, seeing as shortly after the camp was sent, a servant arrived with a summons from his dear mother.

He inwardly sighed, but decided to not relent over it. Luckily, the great o-shiro moon house was only a few hours away by air, but as time dragged and the distance the the moon house grew smaller, he senced a power that swelled as he drew nearer and nearer. Once he arrived to the manor, his mother predictably nagged him on mates she chose, it being time now that Naraku was gone. After she hounded him for an heir for nearly an hour after his arrival, he finally spoke in question for the true reason for his summons. Surly it had something to do with the power.

"Fine, Sesshomaru, but I can't wait forever," she huffed.

His silence urged her to answer as they made their way down a corridor of their manor.

'Sesshomaru…' a soft whisper of air blew through his senses. Unsure if he indeed heard a voice or was it in his mind, his eyebrows hardly furrowed as he stopped in his tracks. He could feel a power emanated down this hall as he witnessed his mother stop a few paces ahead, only to turn to view her sons confusion.

"No doubt, you hear it as well?" She stated, rather than question. He answered and questioned with his eyes, that gave her hint to explain.

"An unknown energy that feels holy, yet... wicked," he murmured to himself, but his mother nodded anyways. "Let us continue, and I will fill in the details as we walk."

They continued side by side as she divulged info on the source of the power they were nearing.

"One of our guardsmen were patrolling near the west shoreline until he begun to hear voices coming from this object, however before he could touch it with his bare claws, it begun to radiate an extreme heat of energy, nearly burning off his arm. I found it odd when he explained the only way to hold it is through other means without direct contact. He brought it to the manor, cradled in cloth, uttering about voices torturing his mind of promises with just a touch. Such sadism." She sighed as they came to the shōji door at the end of the hallway. "Can grant you power with meer touch, but unable to be connected without wrath of its power," she quoted from a story from the past.

"It is but a child's tale of riddles. Surely you do not believe in such fiction," he mocked her gullibility, but she ignored his ridicule as she slid the screen door open and they both entered the room.

The power radiated thought to room, sourced from one side of the opposite wall. There, perched on an oriental cabinet, sat a small wooden chest of crescent moon carvings, golden trim and polished lacquer. They made their way to the box as his mother picked it up and unlatched the golden hinge.

"You may not believe the tale, but," she opened the box to reveal its powerful contents, "perhaps, a glimpse will alter your beliefs such an object is authentic."

The box shone within its container, which revealed an artifact that shined a hue of reds, purples, and blue lights. It's surface glistened from its own brilliance, as its mixed force of evil and holy energy was felt all around them.

 _'Sesshomaru…_ '

"The moonlit stone…" his mother iterated, "made from the powers of a God amongst all God's, cast to our world to aid his beloved mortal, only to be used without caution or forethought. The stone was eventually cast away after its full potential was exceeded and the mortal died, taking the stone with them, ensuring it was never to be found and used again."

The lady moon closed the chest, "of course, there is a lot more to the tale, but the fact is that now, we have it in our possession."

He looked to his mother, "the tale does not concern me, but this will be an issue as this energy can be sensed half a day away. Many who can hear it's calling will no doubt attack."

His mother eyed her son, "and what do you propose we do?"

"Destroy it."

"Ha!" A genuine smile from his mother, "and how do you propose we go about that? A mear touch of a demon, or human, could deem them dead."

"Human?" He echoed.

Her smile vanished abruptly and with deep concern she explained. "You do no think this will cause havoc in out lands… it it far to powerful and dangerous to have here. Without knowing how to use it, it will continue it's call throughout the lands, and if called into the able and wrong hands, it will no doubt cause many issues. I have even issued humans to aid in its destruction, yet, even they are always proven worthless…" she paused with a terrible thought, "what if it will be a priestess or demon slayer the stone abides to?"

Sesshomaru sensed to worry in her tone, "I will ensure it will not come to that. However, for now, we must ensure its keeping here, on constant gaurd. I will return after I attend to other matters so we may discuss other options."

"I take it, your leaving then." her voice back to her tone of indifference.

He did not respond as he turned and begun to make his way for the exit, but was halted by the call of his name from his mother.

"We still have matters to discuss. Stay a moment to meet with someone I wish you get acquainted with."

"If this is about-"

"It is not," she cut him off. "A mere family friend that may help in many situations."

 **oOo**

The two dog demons sat between a small circular chabudai table in the tea house. They partook in tea as his mother continued attempts at conversation with her son.

Still silent as ever. She pondered to herself if she somehow screwed up his upbringing that made him such a apathetic man. 'No, I was a good mother to the boy. Must have been his father.'

A servant arrived after she finished some random story, apparently humorous, about an incident at the last meeting of the Lord's.

"My lady," the meek bird demon announced, "Lady Ai has arrived.

"Thank you, Naoki. Bring her in," she gave a curtious nod. The servent bowed deeply and departed, only to return with an elder woman and left them alone.

"Sesshomaru," his mother introduced, "this is Ai. She is our wise family confidant, whom aids us in times of need."

He eyed the woman with observance. She appeared aged, and her scent was detected to be an owl demon, mixed with the herbs of a witch. Garbed a white Hakui top and dark grey hakama bottoms, the woman made her way to the tea table and sat on an available pillow.

"She is to assist with the house issue, I assume." His eyes wandered to his mother's for response.

"More and less." Her words unconfortably cryptic only caused speculation on this meeting.

"An honor to meet a son of the great and late Inu no Taisho. I have been called upon by my lady for aid in such an honorable cause. I will do more than my best to please my lords for the sake of them."

He did not like where he believes this was going. The air was enigmatical as he looked into the green orbs of the owl demon, searching for reason, but her smile only obscured the nature of her aged and wrinkled eyes. He looked away and back to his mother.

"I do not have patience for this. Tell me this witch is not a Nakōdo (matchmaker)."

His mothers eyes grew slightly larger for an instant before she relaxed again, only surprised he took less time than anticipated to figure it out. However, regardless, she spoke as though it were final, "she is, and you will abide to- Where are you going?"

Sesshomaru stood and begun to make his way to depart. "I do not have time, nor the patience, for this. I will not marry on your terms."

The mother huffed, "I will not accept that they will be on yours. If it were, this clan will never receive an heir and we will loose the land you claim and your father fought for. If you neglect this any longer, you will have no right to do as you feel freely."

"And I will be free then, mother?" He coldly stated rather than questioned.

She stood quiet as his words echoded through her mind. It will be quite the opposite if he were mated. Once it was set, he would remain bound to his mate in the great o-shiro moon house, and if anything like his father, he would escape the palace to continue his patrol of the lands. He was not a family man, but she still loved him, even after his betrayal.

"One year." His words deep, caught her out of her thoughts, unsure of what she heard, but he begun again, he, himself, also unsure but continued.

"One year and you may have my consent," and with that, he departed back to his camp, leaving his mother in shock.

 **oOo**

It was near dayfall and he had almost made his way back to his ward. During the flight back, he felt as though something steadily followed behind, but his sence could not decipher its origin.

Camp was now close, as he could smell from the whiff of smoke from fire, but other smells caught his attention.

Ah-un.

Jaken.

Rin…

A fire-rat demon.

But it was the smell of _blood_ that quickened his pace. He could sence terror and panick from Rin as he quickly passed over the camp, as he took a quick glimps of Ah-Un's scratchef and bloody scales. Jaken no where in sight, but his blood was noticed as well.

It was then he felt an unusual energy that radiated from a particular area of the sky. Though cloudy, he could make out much lightning in that vicinity, followed by a loud boom and an extra bright flash, before the bizzare senario ended with something fallen from the clouds. Perhaps a sky-stone.

His pace nevee slowed as he noticed its landing was aimed in the same direction he was headed. He would inspect it later. Now was the time for Rin.

Damn he was too damn far!

 _KRCHHH-AH PLNH! RRAAAAAAAAA!_

Tree tops broke as the object of unnatural shape passed and crash landed on top the beast. It's wailed echoed throughout the dark forest to large distances away, even reached his ear from the distance.

It was a long moment before Sesshomaru landed near the site, as he continued to follow Rins scent.

She was here, and the demon. His keen nose helped him imagine Runs ragges breaths as she ran with fear of her life, but it was not her blood that was spilled.

No.

Rather it was the demon who had succumed to the sky-rock. As he drew nearer, he could smell Rins form that lingered around the crash site, yet seemed to abruptly depart back towards the village.

Odd. Why would-'

 _sch-klikt_

He stopped in his tracks once his ears caught the foriegn sound. His eyes surveyed the crash site for the source of the unknown noise. It was not a sky-rock after all and there also seemed to be a human as well. An injured human at that.

 _'Sesshomaru…'_

'Impossible,' the demon thought as he heard the familiar whisper of his name, 'it can't be'. He pushed out his energy towards the large metal contraption from the sky and sure enough, he had felt a small hint of that familiar holy, yet wicked, energy.

'The moonlit stone. It's here?'

He begun to take a few paces towards the heap of twisted metal, as he took note of the firerat demon pinned dead between it and a large and thick tree.

He also noticed a woman arise from the other side of the debris, with an unknown weapon directed at him. They were a good twenty yards away, and yet he detected a small amount of gun powder in its chamber.

"Don't come any closer… I'm warning you!" he quirked a brow at the mouth of this human woman. This language was just as foreign to him as her choice of weapon. He had never heard of such dialect before, and given the circumstances, he had to act.

The stones voice beckoned to him, and though it's powered somehow weaker than before, he had to retrieve it for return to the safer confineds of the moon house.

But now this woman, who stared him in the eyes with determination and an weapon aimed at the ready, stood between him and his current motive: Retreave the stone.

He eyed the tool in her hand. A kind of gun. Far smaller than the Matchlocks his father mentioned, before the period of Sakoku. Deadly to humans, yet took too much time to load. Every weapon has a flaw.

He took a cautious step forward as his eyes never wavered from hers. Then another, and another.

"Stop! I don't want to shoot you!" Her foriegn words fallen on foriegn ears, yet he continued.

She was panicked if she would really shoot, but she thought this guy must be really psycho is he's going to continue towards her.

The distance was closing fast, and paranoid thoughts rang through her head as if either he knew she wasn't going to shoot. 'What the hell does this guy want? Why won't he leave? Is he insane!? What if he robs me!?' She inwardly gasped, 'or worse!?'

Closer, they were closer. Only ten yards away from each other and hers still coming.

She couldn't take it anymore.

She had to think it was either him or her.

She chose her. Oh God she had never killed anyone before.

With a squeeze of the trigger and shut of her eyes, the pistol gave way to a loud bang that echoed in the forest, scaring away sleeping crows nearby to wake and fly from fear of the abrupt sound.

It was only when she opened her eyes again, was she stunned from what she saw.

 **o End o**


	3. Breathless

**oOo**

 **'Breathless'**

 **oOo**

"It's that way, master Inuyasha!" Rin gestured as she rode on the half-demons' back. Kagome, herself, clutched just as tightly as her smaller apprentices' fists, also bestrode to the back of their transporters red haori.

Inuyasha quickened his pace towards the young humans directed location, only for a brief moment lost his footing as his nose caught the familiar stench of his elder brother. "Sesshomaru..." his hushed tone caught both of the females ears. Kagomes' muttled thoughts soon cleared after her companions quiet announcement, in realization that an injured woman, Rin spoke of just moments ago, was now alone with an assassin. "We have to hurry Inuyasha!"

"Were almost ther-" Inuyasha stopped in his tracks along the thick tree line that separated them from the human and his brother. The sudden brake from the speed made Kagome and Rin nearly fly off the Inu's back as snow and dust settled to the ground. Kagomes' head impact the back of Inuyashas' shoulder as she let out her curses from the trauma,"Inuyasha! What the hell?"

"Master Inuyasha, why did you stop?"

The hanyou did not like this feeling as he eyed the forestry ahead. There was too much going on in there, and his senses felt overrode. There was a presence in the forest other than his brother and a human. "It feels holy, yet... demonic."

"What are you talking about Inuyasha?"

He did not respond as this was not the most bizarre thing about this situation. What was most peculiar to the hanyou was the feeling of his elder brothers demonic energy pushed against his to stay away. It was as if it were a warning. A warning for protection.

It was then that a loud blast reverberated thought the forest trees and into the sky and caught the attention of the trio. _PAAAWFB!_

"What was that!?" Inuyashas' ears fell back as Rin held her own with her small hands.

Kagomes' brows furrowed as to what it could have been. It was not long before realization dawned at the old and familiar sound. "That was a gunshot," she whispered, "But.. in this era?" Rin removed her palms from her ears and looked to the forest where the noise was created and ceased within a second. Her gut feeling overwhelmed with sudden dread. _'Sesshomaru-sama...'_

Before she realized what she was doing, she was already running within the dense forest toward her father-figure, whom may be in danger. She did not know what a 'gun shot' was, the way Kagome-chan said it, worried her that maybe her beloved Lord needed help, even if she told herself everyday that _he_ was immortal. She had to get to him, so she ignored the cries and curses of her name from behind bellowed for her to return back to them.

She kept running through the forest and it was not long before the shout from afar soon turned to the heavy and light pats of footsteps in an advanced sprint. She knew her companions were right behind her, no longer chasing her, but rather running to the finish.

 _'We're comming Lord Sesshomaru-Sama.'_

 **oOo**

Catalina had her eyes shut as she just squeezed the trigger of her pistol, aimed at a member of the indigenous area.

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God..." she quickly repeated to herself, afraid to open her eyes to someone she just murdered laid out on the floor. Her hand felt sweaty against he cold steel firearm grasped in her hands. She had never killed anyone before, but panic overthrew that fact.

It occurred to her she had to open her eyes at some point. Maybe the guy was still alive, but she didn't hear a wail, yell, or even a whimper when the gun went off. Slowly, her eyes drifted loose and open to take in the forefront of her vision, and then her eyes widened at what she witnessed, or lack there of.

No body.

No person. No one.

"What the hell?" she lowered her firearm to point to the ground, her grip still solid, as she took a few steps forward. With a look to her left, and then to her right, her mind concluded that she was turning insane and seeing things that were not there.

"How peculiar," she whispered to herself. "Perhaps it's the air. Maybe I am hallucinating from the blood loss." She looked down to her bandaged area and eventually turned around back to make her way back to the vessel which brought her here.

"All the more reason to get out of here... and back ho-"

Her sentence was cut short when her head lightly banged onto a random cold and hard object with large spikes, effectively giving her a hard poke to her noggin near her eye. "What the hell," she found herself cursing more than usual lately, as she rubbed her temple and looked up to prospect the root source of her head pain.

To her dismay, it was the object of her insanity was was the cause to her discomfort of her dome. The object?

A man. A man who stood but a few feet from her stance. An Asian man to measure about five-foot ten-inches, with silver hear, beautifully white complexion, tattoos on his face, and narrowed golden eyes. Eyes, currently seething from their sockets towards _her._ She, the five-foot two-inch, curly mid-brown hair, light olive toned skin, and her American upturned-shaped eyes, looked up in horror once there eyes met.

There was a deafening silence between them and a random sudden gust of wind blew passed them, their clothing whipped in the wind. Hell, if he wasn't pissed then, she was sure he was pissed now. Her mind scoured for answered as his eyes expressed many emotions of fury, annoyance, wrath, and rage, yet his demeanor appeared that of impassive, calm, and apathetic.

'Am I hallucinating again? If I am, should I be feeling this anxious? Oh dear God... I'm about to have a panic attack, he's coming this way!'

Sure enough, the man removed himself from his spot and made his direction known casually with his fluid steps, yet calculating with his fearsome stare.

'Why can't I move,' Catalina eyes widened as she struggled with her mind to beckon on moving her legs, but all that she could do was stare back with her shaky hands fear-struck over her weapon. 'This can't be happening! Run, Catalina, shoot, DO SOMETHING BESIDES STARE IN FEAR!'

Her breathing quickened once she noticed a slight sadistic grin plastered on his cream-colored face. It was a small trace of a smile, but with the situation unfolding as it was, that smile was far from a friendly 'how-do-you-do' greeting. With mere feet from where she stood, her mind deliberated between random scenarios on what this anger-filled stranger would do to her. Was she really loosing her mind and this was just a figment of her imagination? What if this was real? Usually she was concerned and well-informed about any given situation or development, but this task made her oblivious to her current surroundings, unknowingly caught between a psychopath, with an obvious criminal intent to harm or kill, and a large tree of considerable height to her back. She could feel the rough roots of the tree beneath her foundation, at it was becoming more apparent to her that she was trapped like a possum in a snare trap. If this was truly an apparition derived from her mind, the fear that followed felt to real to deduce it otherwise.

Her arms shook from the trepidation, making her small firearm rattle its metal against metal, the sound breaking her stupor to the reality check of the danger headed her way. 'SHOOT!' her mind begged for any physical result. Catalina eyed her gun in her unsteady grasp, and looked back up to the man, who had suddenly stopped an arms length away.

'It's now or never!'

With a gulp of dry and cold air to her throat, she attempted a quick response of aiming her pistol, again at the tall silver-haired figure, but it was all for not, for as soon as her reach lifted but a few inches up, a sudden impact to her throat was ensued and effectively shut her wind intake. Even her back in collision with the tree behind her, she could also experience the unforeseen rip of her skin at the wound from the crash. She could feel the sudden warmth of lifeblood rapidly soak the gauze and trickle down her side.

"Stop! I can't... breath," Catalina gasped out though what little air she could release, as she clawed at, with blunt nails, the masculine arm, which solely held her up and against the tree. Her world fallen on deaf and pointed ears while her vision begun to drastically alter to disoriented, the noise and distant sounds of the forest were starting to fade and darkness threatened more and more to cloud her eyes.

"Yameru! Kanojo o kizutsukete wa ikemasearimasen!" ("Stop! Don't hurt her!") a child voice screamed from a far distance.

It was only when a quick flash of light whizzed between them, did she notice the pressure on her neck release, and the aftereffect of an unceremonious decent to the cold earth below. One thing was for sure and it wrung in her thoughts throughout her regained consciousness. 'This is real. I'm not hallucinating.' She wheezed as she slumped over her right knee and held her pained throat. 'It really hurts a lot,' she finished her thought and looked up only to spot another man, dressed in red and also with silver hair, battle with an extremely large sword with fur on its' hilt. The tattooed man easily maneuvered side to side to avoid the onslaught of barrage attempts of the red-clad's weapon, and from how he yelled at her attempted killer in an unknown language, it was safe to assume this newcomer had saved her from death.

"I almost died," Catalina gripped her freshly opened wound as a wave of pain washed over her being, "At least at that time I did."

"Anata ga kizutsukete imasu!" (Your hurt!")

A woman's voice broke Catalina's attention away from the two-man battle. She looked to her side only to see a woman, dressed in red and white, and little girl headed her way. But it was the child's attire that caught her attention. The kid wore a dark purple kimono adorned with and painted yellow butterflies and a pink obi sash. Her eyes met the woman who accompanied the girl and it was then the woman stopped in her tracks.

"Kanojo wa amerikahitodesu..."("She is American") the maiden uttered under her breath. She could tell from the shape of her eyes, this victim did not belong here, and it was when here eyes caught glimpse of the large smoky machine, this woman was defiantly out of place.

While the men fought, the child and the red-and-white clad woman arrived to Catalina's side and the priestess switched her language to English. "Are you okay? We need to get your help."

Catalina looked to the woman with hazy eyes. She has lost so much blood already, it was a miracle she was not dead yet. It was only a matter of time before her vision begun to creep to its awaiting slumber, but with the last ounce of energy she could gather, she searched for one particular being. She had to be sure he was okay. At least if _he_ was still alive and well, she could die in peace.

It was near the crash site when she spotted the familiar blue sheets as it rustled about the ground. He must have fallen out at one point during her confrontation with the killer. The animal moved about as it fought its' own battle for release from the thick linen, and eventually poked out its' blond furry head.

"My dog... Copper," she coughed a bit of blood. She could feel her neck bruise as the force of her bark constricted her airways for a brief moment. The priestess followed the injured womans' eyes only to see a puppy. 'It must belong to her,' she thought to herself.

"Inu o torimasu," ("Take the dog,") the maiden commanded her young apprentice.

With a nod back to her Lady, the child ran to the pup.

The last thing Catalina saw before her vision failed her was that young girl running back with her Copper cradled in arms.

"My name is Kagome. Don't worry, everything will be fine," the woman attempted to console the injured woman in English, but alas, the eyes of the exhausted woman slowly fell to darkness with only one final breath of relief to escape her lips, "That's good... he's fine."

 **oOo**

Kagome watched to her dismay and caught the woman who sat under the tree as she fell limp to her side. Just as Rin arrived back with a bundle of blue cloth and a small pup, the priestess spoke back to her native tongue.

"We have to get her to the hut!" Eyes wandered back to Inuyasha who was now just arguing with his brother about attacking a weak female human. "Don't you have anything better to do?!"

Sesshomaru contradicted, "I am to believe you lecture me on _my_ responsibilities, brother? Perhaps my confidence on Rin's placement with your party was mistrusted."

"Don't blame me if she always looks for you when you make your grand entrance. Your dragon is hard to miss when you hover around the village like a damn fly on shit." Inuyasha balled his fist at his brother, anger spewed from his wide golden eyes, but the daiyoukai was not easily vexed by his siblings antics. With a turn on his heel, the Lord begun to make his way back to his ward, and left his confounded brother with a bewildered expression plastered on his face. "Where the hell do you think your going," the hanyou shouted as he waived his fully transformed Tessaiga in the air between them.

"Inuyasha!" he heard Kagomes' voice holler, effectively breaking his dedication to slay his brother. Once he looked to his group, he could see the urgency in his mikos face and sheathed his weapon and ignored his brothers departure.

"Fine." The inu scooped up the unconscious woman and they quickly withdrew from the scene.

Sesshomaru was only a few strides away after Inuyasha and his team left, when he heard it again and stopped in his tracks to look behind himself.

 _'Sesshomaru... The girl... Sesshomaru'_

"This will be bothersome," he remarked to no one.

 **oOo**

Within the tree line, perched two scops owls, hidden within the branches and leaves that never fell from the winter elements. Both gray feathered nocturnal birds watch with large globular eyes. The smaller orange-eyed bird, looked to the older and larger gray-eyed one as they had watched the scenario unfold before them. They could feel the presence of other youkai within the forest, all surrounded by one thing.

It was the one object they yearned for and it was their Lord whom made his way towards it.

"Miss Ai. Shall I go and inform our Lady Moon?" The smaller had grown restless with all the demonic auras in his Lord Sesshomarus wake. They were surrounded by many demonic presences as well as witnessed even see a small snake demon slithered between the shrubs benieth them. All made their way closer to the _'voice',_ each hearing a calling of their individual names, but only they could all hear it call others and not their own, always promising power, fortune, or other forms of greed.

"Not yet, Hitoshi. I want to see what happens next." The large female telekinetically said to her apprentice.

Hiroshi nodded and continued to watch his Lord Sesshomaru melt away a small section of the vessel with his poison claws. It was what was pulled out of the melted metal that made the surrounded demons become more restless.

It was indeed a moonlit stone. Housed in a glass cylinder, the rock shone a faded hue of purple and red, yet something was different other than the brightness compared to the stone within the Moon house. Sesshomaru had noticed it as well.

The stone was half the size of the brighter one at the castle. As the young Lord eyed the glass tube which held the stone, he contemplated what may have happened to the other half, bit his thoughts were interrupted as a small snake demon lunged from a nearby shrub towards the daiyoukai.

It's weak attack was easily dismissed by a quick whip of his demonic energy, effectively obliterating the inferior creature. He watched as the snakes ashes fell the the cold ground below, believing this new turn of events will be problematic.

It was then he knew he had to return the stone to the Moon house for protection, and given the circumstance of his steed, he could not fly there with haste. No.

He had to walk the distance, with the stone on his person, at least until Ah-Uns injury heals.

"So be it." He inwardly sighed as he begun to make his way back to his ward. With the stone now stored in the chest of his hankimono, he knew the walk will be much of a challenge, especially with all the surrounding demons waiting for him to slip.

It would take three days time to return on foot.

'Sesshomaru... The girl... Take the girl..." The stone whispered, but the daiyoukai ignored it's calls and continued in the opposite direction.

 **oOo**

Now that the coast was clear and the hoard of hidden demons followed their Lord, the two olws stayed behind, the smaller one waiting on instructions. As they were perched on different branches of the same large tree, they noticed the bare golden lights of an oncoming day. The sun was rising and morning would bring light to these lands. Much snow will melt and, if well enough, warmth could beam between the cold gusts of winter.

"Hiroshi," the female owl spoke telepathically to the male. He looked to Ai, his teacher, with attention as she continued. "This is indeed a wild turn of events. I trust you to relay what you have witnessed here to the Lady Moon."

"And what about you?" He inquired.

Ai turned her head slightly to face her understudy, "the stone is not my mission, nor is it a desire for owl demons. My duty is to my Lady and Lord, and right now I have been assigned my the Lady Moon to complete a hard task." The female turned her head towards the direction of the village as the finished her speech, "You may tell her I may be closer to obtaining a mate for our Lord, but it may come with a price."

 **o end o**


	4. Theft

**oOo**

 **'Theft'**

 **oOo**

 _It had been two months since Catalina had found out about her husband's infidelity with a coworker at his job, and since then she and her husband had regularly appeared before their family therapist in hopes of recovering their shattered marriage. Many changes have happened during those few months, and throughout that time, the word 'sorry' had become far too bothersome to hear, only reminding her of what he was sorry for in the first place. He would beg and offer her anything to amend what he had broken. Her trust._

 _All he wanted to do was amend their relation to get back to how they once were, and all she wanted to do was forget it ever happened, but every time she was quiet and seemed lost in thought, he always believed she would think about their situation between each other. All this did was make him speak on unrelated matters to take her mind away from his betrayal, that eventually always ended to his apologies for everything and anything that occurred on his fault._

 _It was at one point, one night, he had called their babysitter to watch over their only child, Emma of near eight years, so they could have time for just them. The discreet drive to his destination only confused Catalina as to what his motive was this time. "Where are we going, Christopher?"_

 _"It's a surprise, just for us, but mainly you," his voice deep and full of mystery as he continued their drive in the dead of night._

 _She continued to sit in silence, at least until he pulled up to the back driveway of their old high school. It was closed due to it being night time and all staff were gone for the weekend. She speculated, "why are we here?"_

 _"Like I said, it's a surprise," he smiled at her as they got out of their black Ford Expedition and walked together towards the gated back entrance of the campus. From where he managed to get a key to the gate and building only questioned in her mind, but she never asked. Perhaps he had talked to the grounds keeper in obtaining one._

 _Once they were inside the building, she had noticed that a few lights were dimmed on. For only places he planned on going through, the hallway lights illuminated their path between the empty campus classrooms. One set of lights in particular were in the main hall that maintained a wide wooden staircase that led to the second floor of the building. That's when he stopped._

 _She stopped only as he did, right next to him, as she looked up the staircase. "What is it?" Perhaps he had seen something where she did not._

 _After he grabbed her hand and led her only a few steps up, that's when he turned around to face her, taking in beauty that was always meant for him, yet always taken for granted. Her light brown hair was long and curly in all the right spots. She looked beautiful to him whenever she let her hair down. It was absurd for her to cover herself with makeup without a blemish on her soft skin, and yet she always was too self-conscious that she always wore at least eyeliner, and mascara before heading out into the public. But it was just them._

 _His fingers lightly trailed her crown, as he pushed aside a loose strand of her locks behind her ears. "I will never forget where our first kiss was," he managed to whisper to her after a while of his own silence. That's when it occurred to her. This was the exact spot where she tip-toed on the third step, so she could be the one to kiss him in surprise. It was their first innocent kiss. He was always so shy, and she knew it was going to be her to initiate the sensation of their lips together. Many years had passed since then, but the memory of it all only made her smile a genuine one. It was a true surprise to make her remember such a nice memory after what they were going through._

 _But it did not end there. "Do you remember the first class we had together?"_

 _"Of course I do," her smile kept in place as they made their way up the stairs and towards room one twenty-two, their old world history class room on the west wing on the center. "I was already in my seat, when you stumbled inside the classroom late and covered with feces... and that was your first day of class."_

 _"There was an incident in the bathroom!" he interjected, but only made her giggle._

 _"As so you said, over and over again. No one wanted to sit by you because of the stench."_

 _"Except you…"_

 _"I started that year off with a cold and couldn't smell a thing for weeks, and during that quarter, the kids always made fun of you, calling you King Dookie, but I felt bad for how they were treating you. Especially because you were new to the school."_

 _"When we got close, they started calling you Queen Dookie, but you put a stop to that real quick." He smiled at the memory._

 _"That Jacob had it coming to him. He deserved what he got."_

 _Their slow walk gave time for idle chit-chat as their final steps made it to the entrance door of their old classroom, the familiar aromas of sharpened pencils and chalk-board dust permeated the halls with nostalgia. She noticed the ceiling lights were off in the vacant room, but another light flickered and shone through the glass pane of the wooden door. She assumed it was a bulb that needed replacing, but that presumption was thrown out the second story window once he opened the door and walked her inside, "Ah, memories…"_

 _Nestled in the middle of the class, stood a small round table, with a white cover draped all around both the table and chairs. A large bouquet of white gardenias stood as the centerpiece as two sets of white candles and tableware were on opposite ends of the table. It was a surprise date and more truly that he, not only remembered these personal things such as their first kiss and her favorite flowers, but also went out of his way to arrange such a personal event._

 _It was only when he ushered her into her seat and he rounded the table to sit across from her, did she realize how much he would go out of his way to make things right again between them. As the fire of the candle continued to flicker, she smiled into his eyes, and the way he looked back at her, made her feel like the weight of the past had been slightly lifted._

 _'Yeah', she thought. 'This is a good start.'_

 _The last thing she remembered from that night was the gift of diamond studded earrings that she vowed to never take off and the fire that not only inflamed the wick of the candle, but also the passion in her heart to make amends._

 **oOo**

It was a vision of a bursting flame from a candle stick that woke Catalina into consciousness and to a world of extreme discomfort. The memory and dream of a romantic night left as soon as her eyes flittered open and ultimately stayed closed to endure the pain. Her mouth dry from constant heaving and crying during her unconscious break, and it was a hard gulp of remaining saliva that escalated the pain in her throat. The agony of it, plus the metallic taste of blood only resulted in a slight moan to escape her soft and dry lips.

The sound of the injured only rang attention to the other being in the vicinity.

"You're up!" A timid feminine voice was slightly accented, but it would have only take a peep to cause alarm it Catalina's thoughts as her eyes shot open, only to view the ceiling with exposed wooden beams and darkness illuminated by a flicker of fire that burned on the other side of the room. Her pain forgotten for a moment in fright, only to be reminded by the stranger in the room that she was down for a reason.

"I did not expect you'd be up already. You lost a lot of blood." The voice came closer and she was able to view the person from her lying position on, what she assumed, was a mat on the wood floor.

This woman. She had long raven hair tied in a thin red bow, and wore a bright white top with large sleeves and rather large red slack. Though this attire was alien to her, it was her eyes that gave the appearance of an Asian culture.

"Where am I?" Catalina spoke broken and hoarseness in her breath, her headache pounded against her temples, yet she noticed the pain in her abdominal was not as severe as once before she blacked out.

The Asian woman laid a clay bowl of water fused with spices and herbs near the head of the patient. "You were out for about half a day, but you are safe now. I managed to do what I can on your deeper wound, but I think you can manage small tasks, just don't put sudden stress on it." The woman slowly helped Catalina to sit up, only causing slight discomfort in the action. She could feel the bandage around her midsection as it constricted as she rose from her lying position. What was once a jabbing stab now felt like a dull pressure, as if the wound was in the midst of fully healed, and the gape in her side was now hardly a gash.

It was then that she noticed more of her surroundings. Her beloved golden retriever pup laid at the foot of her makeshift bed, sleeping like a hibernating bear. A fire illuminated the hut with a large pot of steaming liquid that hovered over it with the help of well sized and shaped tree branch. Her black silk blouse was left unbuttoned, exposing her bare chest, a black and pink-laced bra, and bandages that wrapped all along her torso. The matching silk pajama bottoms felt of moisture, she assumed was either blood or sweat. She hoped was the latter.

Once she was upright, the woman reached to pick up the bowl of steaming liquid. "My name is Kagome. I am a traveling priestess, accompanied by two others. We were lucky we got you here in time," the woman introduced as she held up the concoction for her patient to take. Catalina looked at the bowl with uncertainty as it was held in front of her. The priestess saw the unease in her eyes and tried to alleviate the anxiety this woman may feel. "It will speed up recovery and reduce the risk of infection. I have done what I could, but now only time can pass in order for you to feel normal again.

'Normal'… Such a deplorable word, worse that to even 'time'. "A priestess, you say," she eyed the bowl as the sweet aroma of boiled plants reached her senses, the steam doing well to clear her clogged sinuses. "Like a nun?" she asked as she hesitantly accepted the bowl.

Kagome smiled, "in some ways yes, in other ways no."

The liquid was hot, so only a few sips were taken to wet her parched mouth. The taste was not sour nor bitter, but rather had a sweet and calming effect on her sore throat. It still hurt to swallow. This moment was taken to ponder what she may look like at this point, how it all had occurred before she fell unconscious and finally left in her current predicament. Her hair, before picked up in a nice and neat bun, must now look like a birds' nest, and her body, parts that she had not seen yet, must look as bad as they felt. An image of a very bruised banana crosses her imagination as to probabilities on the appearance of her skin. She pushed these thoughts aside to address her current standing.

One. She was in pain. She could probably stand, but it would have to be done carefully to avoid a head rush, and reopening the wounds.

Two. Undoubtedly lost, but hopefully questions could bring about some answers. Just have to choose words carefully. This was a foreign land to her after all, and it would be best to refrain from creating further speculation within a circumstance, especially where she should not be in the first place.

All this for issue number Three. She had to get back home, and fast. The less impact she made here, the better it would be. Chances are, her arrival had already created a rift at some point.

"What's your name?" Kagome asked.

Catalina looked to the nun, dressed in white and red, as she thought of predicament number two. It was time to skill in her specialty. Questioning. After another quick sip from the bowl, she spoke again, "Kagome. What I am going to ask will seem bizarre, but please trust that I need answers without judgment. Can you do that for me?"

The priestess looked at her patient with confusion, momentarily forgetting her question had been avoided. Internally, she was well of understanding and more than willing to help someone that she speculated was in some way, just like her. "I do not judge." With a nod of agreement, Catalina asked away to gather info she would need in order to get back to her life of normalcy.

"Specifically," Catalina began, " _where_ am I?"

Kagome assumed the questions would start off innocently, and provided answers promptly, and even noted the questions were very closely related to what she presumed of this woman, "You are in a hut in a village called Kyoto."

Catalina had never heard of this place. All she knew was her home town, the surround states, and a few names of countries. World history was not her strongest subject. She inwardly hoped she was still on Earth with the old term, 'village', used before there were towns or cities, though the thought only backfired once she viewed Kagomes' eyes again. It had to be one of the Asian countries. China, Korea, Taiwan? "What country is this _village_ in?"

"Japan."

Now she was getting some headway. "Japan," Catalina echoed to herself, "That's good I guess. Right on the other side of earth…" she sighed sadly. She begun to think of her next step forward. Maybe she could catch a plane. No, that wouldn't work… The people are dressed in their old times, and their houses are still made as huts. _'Either I'm in a rural section of the country, or technology hasn't caught up. If that's the case, then this must mean…'_

"Kagome," now was time for the more serious yet bizarre question to ask an indigenousness. Seeing eye to eye, the priestess waited patiently as her patient furrowed her brows in thought of how to ask such a question. After a tense moment, she figured there was no way to coat this as cryptic as possible.

"What is todays date?" Catalina asked.

Kagome assumed correctly but only acted as though she was taken aback. This _woman_. She was indeed not from here. Not from this area, nor from this time. Catalina locked eyes with Kagome as she waited for a response with tension.

' _She's not only an American, but a time traveler. Had they actually gone that far in technology? Was it right after my final arrival to the feudal time? What is she doing here, of all places?'_ With this new found revelation, the young miko had many questions in her mind, all except the one that was actually asked.

"Kagome," Catalina asked again, "What is todays date?" This time, more determination in her voice.

"Oh, right," her inner bubble of questionable thoughts popped as she begun to think. "It's, uh…"

This was it. Catalina had a current place, now all she needed was the exact date and she'd be home bound. That was until the doctor prescribe a dose of confusion.

"Today is… Tenbun twenty-two, twenty-second day of the twelfth month."

Catalina's eyes went wide, " _That's_ the date?"

"It could be the twenty-third day." Kagome smiled innocently.

"What happened to January, February… Sunday, Monday?"

Kagome sighed. She knew what was meant, but in these times, they do not go by those calendars. Even she was lost on what date it could actually be. The only hint she could get were the seasons. If it was nearing the end of winter as it was now, chances are it could either be between end of January or beginning of February according to the Gregorian calendar, but she could not disclose that she knew, least blow her own cover.

A temporary defeat in the questioning, but one that could be solve if she could only get back to her vessel. No doubt all those books had to have something in there to aid in her return. In image of the damaged vessel crossed the forefront of her mind as she looked down to see her sleeping pup. A deeper sigh escaped her lips at the thoughts of repair. Knowing 'where' and 'when' is a start, but 'how' would be the biggest issue.

"Kagome!" a man hollered a bit behind the entrance straw-hanging door. The abrupt noise visually surprised Kagome from her thoughts and yelled back in her native tongue.

"I am here."

Catalina thought in awe at the foreign language and how this woman could so easily change between them. _'This woman… Something's not right…'_ she mentally thought, but before she could think more about it, Kagome excused herself with a curt nod and stood as she made her way out side.

Once out, Kagome was greeted by a very agitated hanyou. "So what's that humans deal?"

"She's been through a lot, Inuyasha. If she stresses too much, her wounds may reopen," she gestured to calm her friend down.

"I just want to talk," he yelled as he jumped over her and landed right in front of the hut entrance. This quick action resulted in a cry of displeasure from the miko. "Inuyasha, wait!" but he had already entered with frustration in his golden eyes directed to the injured woman sitting up with a bowl in her hand. "OY! Tell me what the hell that energy was, that came from your metal machine!"

Catalina moved the bowl away from her lips as she looked at the agitated silver-hair man garbed in all red, noting that his eyes looked just like the freak of nature that attacked her. His words fallen on lost ears at the language he spoke in, but although she did not know a stich of Japanese, his body language was well beyond understanding. He was pissed at her. But why?

It was then she realized she was bare chested and her bra exposed to this angry man. He may be mad at her, but it was no reason to barge into a room with a woman who was not decent. Her cheeks and eyes flared as red as his garb, as she tossed the bowl of scorching hot liquid at the intruder. One hand to hold the cover to her chest, another to grab whatever the heck was around for some heavy fast throws. "HOW DARE YOU, HAVE SOME RESPECT! GET OUT YOU FREAK!"

Inuyasha ran out at the bowl of hot liquid splashed and clanked his head, random objects spewed in his direction out of the hut. "AH! Kagome, she burned me, that bitch!"

"Serves you right!" seethed Kagome as she watched him jump in a nearby tree, still visible as he dried the offending herb-water with his sleeve as he cried about its' stench.

While they argued outside, Catalina was busy getting up and buttoning her blouse, only to notice a large tear where she was wounded. "Damn, and I really liked these pajamas." That's when her eyes caught a neatly folded set of red and white garments, much alike to what that priestess was wearing.

She quickly changed, finding it very easy to adjust the size due to a tie-able waist. After a quick retie of her hair, she gathered her belongings and slipped on the available socks and sandals, only to be intruded by the miko. "Your leaving already?"

"I have to get back," Catalina said flatly.

Kagome knew her patient was not at top percent in terms of healing. She also doubted this woman knew of the dangers in these lands. "Let me walk with you back to your arrival." Catalina looked at her healer with uncertainty, but Kagome waived it off with a quick remark of "bandits and all."

 **oOo**

Inuyasha stayed above ground, jumping tree to tree along a beaten path, packed snow fell from their branches with every impact of his landing. He followed their sent to ensure the two human females made it to their destination safely, luckily it was not far away. _'Strange. I don't feel that energy around here like before. But I can still smell that bastard further ahead.'_

On the path below, the two women were dressed warmly for the chilled air as they neared the arrival site with silence and a covered pup cradled on Catalina's side, but Kagome, equipped with bow and arrows for 'bandits', was all too talkative. Whenever a question was asked, a short sort-of answer was given. Other things were on Catalina's mind, like fixing what she knew nothing about.

"So where are you from?" Kagome would ask questions alike.

"Far away…" Catalina would answer.

"How old are you?" Kagome persisted with the questioning.

"Mid-Twenty."

"You never told me your name…"

"Catalina." _'God, this woman is like a toddler with all these questions.'_

"Can I ask you a question, Kagome," a frown still on Catalina's face. After careful review of her situation and her surroundings, she felt it was time to ask some questions her own towards her savior.

"Sure," Kagome happily smiled.

"I'm not sure how to ask this, so I will do my best, but… How do you know English?"

Kagome internally panicked, _'Oh crap! What am I supposed to say? That I learned it when I was in school in the future?'_ "Wha- What do you mean?"

In Catalinas' mind, the would think it would be impossible to know the language. If the Gregorian calendar was not adopted in this era yet, that must mean the Europeans had not arrived to change their current one. They would have taught their language at the same time. Her knowledge of world history may be off, but she always took into account of what did and didn't add up. Perhaps, there was a legitimate reason. "I mean… Where did you learn English? Are there others in the area like you?"

"Probably not." Kagome iterated, but as she received a questionable look, she quickly thought of an excuse, "I traveled to China for my studies."

"I see…" Catalina was unsure if the calendar was promoted in China yet, so she dismissed the assumption.

They arrived to the clearing of her damaged vessel and Catalina let out another depressing sigh. Kagome noticed this and asked, "Do you know how to fix it?"

"Not a clue," she stated as she made her way closer to the wreckage, "But I have to learn to figure it out." Once she knelt down to one of the open compartments, she released her pup from her hold to which he roamed around her happily sniffing in his surroundings. As she reached inside the cavity of the ship, she grabbed one of the notebooks to do a quick visual scan of its contents in order to identify if it pertains some knowledgeable aid. There were five composition notebooks with scribbles from the maker, each book labeled numbers one thru five to be consecutive. Also in the compartment were smaller, yet thicker language books. English translators to German, Russian, French… She had to scour through what seemed like twenty to one that was English and Japanese translations. As she made her way to the next compartment, Kagome picked up one of the notebooks fallen on a stack of more books, with English letterings, surprised she could still remember her studies on the subject, but something was odd with this particular notebook. Notebook number 5. Towards the end of it, there were many pages ripped out. _'Must have been not important… or too important.'_

Once the sound of rustling clanks reached her ear, Kagome made her way towards the source, right behind the kneeling Catalina, who was rummaging through many sized boxes in an open compartment. Opening and closing each box after a quick peek, Catalina was in search for anything that could help aid her. Many contained rare artifacts, but her main concern were the tools. She needed to get her only mode of transportation up and running, and it required tools that may, or may not, have been introduced to this country as of yet.

Catalina worked feverishly as she inspected each box for stored tools she was going to need in order to fix the ship and get back to her normal lifestyle, however, it was the contents of one box that made her stop and ponder on its workings.

' _An electronic,'_ she mentally stated, _'I wonder if it still works.'_

As she took out the handheld device, she inspected its simple features such as two small screen panels, one on top the other, and about three small buttons on the left side. The case hung from a simple black lanyard and was as white as a pilgrim's apron. The small buttons were as black as onyx, but as she traced the sides with her fingers, she managed to locate a very small yellow switch on the right side of the device. She knew this allowed her to power it on, as was demonstrated to her once before. At the moment her fingers flicked on the switch, both its black rectangular screens changed to one of a faded blue. The bottom screen had low readings, but it was the monitor on the top that worried her. _'This is not right.'_

"What is it?" she heard Kagome asked from behind.

' _If this is true, then that must mean…'_

Catalina stood and made her way around the vessel towards the fuel compartment, just as she answered Kagome, "It's a stone-reader, and either it's busted, or-AAHHHH!"

Kagome came running around the corner, arrow drawn, "What! What is it?!"

"What the hell is that!?" Catalina pointed aggressively to a humongous rat with red fur, its head dangled to its side with a dripping purple tongue and eyes that shone like glass, indicating it's inanimate status. Once the American woman witnessed the carcass was logged and pinned between a large tree and her ship, she wondered how she could have missed it before.

Kagome withdrew her arrow as she smiled, "A very dead fire rat demon."

"I hardly see what there is to smile about. You make it seem like these things exist in numbers… like cockroaches. And what do you mean by 'demon'?"

"Ah, well-," Kagome worried how to explain. Demons don't exist in their time, so it would be hard to describe without it being unbelievable. As she looked back at the deceased rat, she figured this time traveler should know as soon as possible, especially since it would take much time to repair her vessel. "Demons like that exist. They are many and come in many shapes and forms. Some strong, some weak. Many are bad and want nothing more but to cause harm, kill, and eat you, but they are some who are harmless and want nothing more than companionship…" That was when Kagome looked to the trees and up towards _her_ companion, "like Inuyasha."

Catalina followed Kagomes sights onto the red-clad man with silver hair, who stood atop a branch. _'He is a demon? But he looks sort of like one of us, aside from jumping tree to tree, the hair and… the fuzzy things on his head? Are those ears? Though those aspects are different, his face reminds me of that man who attacked me, and almost killed me…'_ With furrowed brows, Catalina asked Kagome, "was the guy who attacked me also a demon?"

Kagome looked to her patient with sadness. "His name is Sesshomaru. He is the older half-brother of Inuyasha and the lord of these western lands. An uptight cold-hearted emotionless killer, but also a very powerful ally, just as long as you don't cross him."

"I see," Catalina rubbed her sore throat just as she hung the device around her neck, "I really need to go back then." Her eyes looked towards her vessel, only to be shocked to view a large molten hole where the fuel compartment is supposed to be. Immediately in panic, she ran towards the cavity where she witnessed that the fuel bay compartment was empty. _'The stone… my only hope of returning… it's missing!'_ She looked down at the gadget in her hand that showed the only blip on the screen was not in the center as it should be. The top half of the device, where this was noted, was a GPS that homed in on the wavelengths of her fuel, and where it should be located was off by many meters away from where she stood.

Catalina's eyes widened at the revelation, then looked at Kagome in shock. "My fuel… has been stolen." Kagome wondered with furrowed brows, what sort of fuel was needed, who could have stolen it, and for what purpose.

' _Inuyasha…'_ one of his ears twitched as he heard his name faintly in the distance, carried by a brush of cool wind. It was then Catalina's pup grew restless with a growl, effectively breaking the women's thoughts from their ponders. "What's gotten into you, Copper?"

At once, both canines, demon and non, rushed into the forest with intent towards the same direction.

"Copper! Come back!" Catalina hollered as she chased after her beloved four-legged companion.

"Catalina! Wait!" Kagome chased after her. The priestess' peripheral caught a glimpse of Inuyasha rushing towards the same direction the pup was headed. _'This can't be good.'_

Catalina heard her stone-tracking device beep as an indication the blip was nearing the center. _'Copper can sense the stone?'_ She saw a blur of red pass by her right side and knew it was Kagomes demon friend. _'It's that guy… Inuyasha Kagome said. Can he sense it too, like copper?'_

When she looked forward towards her lab, a shiver of panic coursed through her veins as she noticed how far ahead he became is such a few seconds. His pace quickly ran over large exposed roots of oak and icy bushes, and as the distance between them grew, Catalina quickened her pace in attempt to catch up, all the while, a desperate plea ran though her mind. _'Copper… Please, don't leave me alone. Please…'_ The heated breath that escaped her parted lips showed through the chilly air with every heavy pant.

Eventually they ran into a break of the forest line and were now exposed to a grassy field with few patches of packed snow. Along the clearing the unordinary group raced into the clearing, eyes directed ahead, all for different causes, but all were aimed for one spot that was currently occupied by a very agitated silver-haired demon. It took a moment for Catalina to realize who her lab was running towards, but once her vision became livider, it was all too apparent of the immense danger he was heading in. "COPPER!" she hollered in fright, her voice reaching the sensitive hearing of the demon, "STOP, COPPER!" With only a dozen feet between them, the pup stopped and began to bark at the yellow-eyed demon as though it had nothing to lose. All the man did was turn his torso and look down at the inferior creatures causing such bothersome noises.

Once Catalina arrived right behind Copper, she hastily picked him up and held him close as if he were her own child. When her eyes met the demons, her brows furrowed. _'Damn, if only I had that gun,'_ she thought to herself as he fully turned towards her direction.

"Down," he spoke deeply in his native tongue as he reached for the hilt of his sheathed sword, but it was fallen on incoherent ears, only the motion of his hand was all she witnessed. Assumed he was going to attack, she backed away, pup in arms, but his motion was fluidly quick, so that before she knew it, he swung his sharp weapon in her direction. With a jolt of sudden fear for her life, she ducked in order to avoid the blades impact, but was astounded to hear a screech of pain from where the sword struck above her.

"SHHAA," the slithering victim cried as its' body was sliced in two from its' mouth and right down the middle. Both halves of the body fell around Catalina with an unceremonious thud. It was then that a large, thin wooden arrow whizzed by passes both of them and headed towards a child that rode atop a two headed dragon-like creature. It was effective in its aim as it penetrated a frog demon's forehead, right before it could strike the child. Catalina was knelt down as she witnessed such a feat, more so, the revelation there was a two-headed dragon in her presents.

"Rin-chan! Take Ah-Un and fly up!" Kagome yelled in Japanese to her young apprentice as she notched another arrow and rushed to Catalinas' side. "Are you okay?" she switched back to English, visually assessing any damage that may have been done to her patient. All the American woman could do was provide a solemn nod. "Good. Stay close," Kagome said.

"He can't fly," the child stressed after she watched the amphibious demon hit the floor, "He was injured and weakened from the fire-rat attack." She pointed to a set of four large gashes of claw marks that seemed to have broken away some of the beast's hard scales and exposed red tinges of raw meat and blood. When she looked back to the miko, she noticed a large dark shadow, with oval red eyes, grow from behind the unsuspected target. However, before the girl could warn the priestess, her red-clad partner pounced on the demon with his razor sharp claws, but not without a verbal lash towards his elder brother. "Damn, Sesshomaru. What'd you do to piss all these demons off, anyways?" The young hanyou was all too ready to attack any more that may come their way. When no more came for a moments pass, they could still feel their meek presents in the forest line. Their energies weak, but many, all hiding. All waiting for a slipup.

"Surly even _your_ diluted blood can sense it as well?" the calmness on the demon lords voice mixed with insult only pissed of his brothers more.

Kagome looked to her friend for understanding, and with his face full of expression, it was all too clear that Inuyasha, her companion, could feel something in the air that she could not understand. It was then that she could feel the familiar sting of crossed energies as well, one that was felt right before they arrived to help this mysterious woman named Catalina, whom was now upon her feet, pup in arms, and stood between both the priestess and the younger half-demon. Lost to the Japan-speakers loud conversation, or argument as what it seemed like, Catalina felt her stone reader vibrate from within her chest as it hung over her neck. Curious, she looked at the screen only to notice the lonely white blip was now no longer away from the center, but, according to the devices measurements and compass, was only a few yards ahead. As she followed the line of direction the screen had pointed out, she was astounded to find the stones whereabouts.

It was in the sneaky hands of the one and only demon that almost killed her.

"YOU! I can't believe it!" her eyes seethed towards the powerful freak a short distance away, whom only provided her a sideways glance. Kagome felt an angry tension in her patients tone of voice, "Catalina? What's wrong?" she responded in English. This language confused the great dog-demon, but it was her eyes that bothered him the most. Just by a little, not enough to show.

"That," Catalina pointed aggressively with an available hand, towards the man with tattoos on his face, "that freak stole my fuel and I want it back. NOW!"

"Kagome looked back towards Inuyashas brother, who only seemed annoyed at the fact a human woman had pointed at him was an accusing look. As to why, he did not care.

"You will do well to place that hand down, human, or I shall sever it from your corpse," he threatened, but this only caused the miko to interfere in an attempt to deflate the tension. "Excuse her, she doesn't know any better."

"Miko. You are able to speak her language. Tell me what she has said," the tall demon demanded.

"Ah, well," Kagome begun to speak back in Japanese, "she thinks you have something of hers, and that if you did, _not saying you do_ , but if you can give it back."

"If she is insinuating that I am a thief, she should be mistaken in her mind," he replied dryly as he resheathed his weapon. Kagome could still feel the many presents of demons in the area and wondered why he had placed his sword back by belt. Unaware of what was said, due to language barriers, Catalina looked to Kagome for confirmation on the allegation, but before the young priestess could part her lips, the lord of the western lands spoke again. "If there is a thief here, she should think twice upon herself."

Kagome looked to the American woman, taking in her appearance in whole. She knew nothing of how she came to these lands, none the less, this era, but something told her that his words were on misjudgment. She had seen the melted hole on the vessel where this woman claimed her 'fuel' was located. The condition of the molten metal around the area was indeed the work of this particular taiyoukai.

Catalina had her eyes pinned on the demon she knew took her fuel as he spoke to Kagome. _'This freak better hand it over. I am not going anywhere until I have it back where it belongs.'_ Once Kagome was done talking to Sesshomaru, Kagome locked their eyes and imminated a very heartfelt, _'sorry, I tried, I kind of believe you though,'_ look.

"Are you kidding me?" Catalina brought the stone-reader up to view with a blip in the center that blinked just as insistent as her passion for the matter, as she made her way passed the only other English speaker and towards the very tall, intimidating suspect. With a huff of her breath she began, "You FREAK!" This startled the young Kagome in a scurry of panic as she tried to hold the newcomer back with a not-strong-enough grip. Once she stood toe-to-toe to the human-looking creature, she was immediately taken aback for as to how tall he was, as his golden eyes pierced down into hers and the shiver down her spine thawed, he gave the slightest of smirks that only enraged her further. "How dare YOU take MY belongings!" she hung her device a reach to wave in his face, the smirk only lasted until she begun to yell. "This shows you have it and I demand you give it back, NOW, or else!" Not only was the mikos grip futile against the rage emitted by this woman, but the scene also evoked a slight grin from the hanyou to see such a spectacle. Her language was fallen on incoherent sensitive youkai ears. Her racket, short as it was, only annoyed him, but not as much as the understandable one that followed.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Catalina heard a full and imposing voice round the tall demon as it yelled in its native language of Japanese, as first glance around she was unsure where it came from, but just as she noticed how bizarre it was to go from looking straight up to look someone in the face, to dropping her head forward to look another, this time green, face of yet a more obscured looking creature. "You measly, insufferable wrench! Watch your tone when you speak to lord Sesshomaru-sama! Have some respect, even if your pitiful human breath doesn't deserve to breath the same ai- HEY, give that ba- OMPH."

Before the little green man knew it, he was bonked hard on the head into a brief mini-coma, with his own staff that the very human, he attempted to intimidate, stole from his claws. "Don't yell at me man-toad, I'm the victim here!" She promptly discarded the staff next to the little-green-old-man-thing-with-a-beak as she was able to let out a bit of her frustration on the poor creature. Now with a calmer demeanor, she looked back at the silver-haired full-demon they called Sesshomaru, her eye seethed with hate that this 'freak' was standing in their way of going home.

"Kagome, tell this man that I will not stand down until my belongings are returned. I am most certain he has it, and it would be wise if he would just give it back, or else. It does not belong to him."

It was at this point the raven-haired miko became a real-time translator between a demon lord of the western lands and a powerless person, who was out of place and way over her head to be making threats. She lifted her head to give a curt nod towards the full-blooded demon, to which he looked back to her for answers on what the other human spoke in such a foreign language, "She said she's positive you have what belongs to her, and it would be wise if you gave it back," taking precaution to avoid the whole 'or else' bit.

Sesshomaru eyed back to the woman with unusual features, and noticed the scowl in this woman's eyes. It was damn near amusing to see such an inferior and weak creature bless him with such a distasteful scene. He wondered, as Kagome spoke, if he snapped that womans neck in this instant, would she still have the same scowl, or would it be one of surprise, fear, or panic. "You can inform this _human_ that such an item is above her handling. It would be wiser if kept in my care where lesser demons could not take hold of such an artifact. There is already a disturbance in energies around."

Kagome translated back as both Sesshomaru and Catalina had a mini-stare-down, but it was Inuyasha who spoke as the priestess translated the demons words to the American woman.

"What the hell is it?" His younger half-blood half-brother regarded about the holy and demonic power that could be felt from his direction. It was a question that rang in Kagomes' mind as well, yet had not a chance to ask. Regardless, the power of this 'fuel' was mentally and spiritually breaking. It's energy, pulled like a heartbeat on thread, to the core of the surrounding beings. It was not a feeling that could be described as a tug of the heart, but something deeper than bone, like the spirit. The pressure pumped though air with the sense of both something holy, and something wicked, as these energies derived from one source, in Sesshomaru's direction. All eyes, those in the open, and those that hid within the nearby forest line, were all directed towards this powerful demon lord. Those with heightened senses could feel it's presences of mixed powers. Those with keen hearing could listen and hear for whispers of promise for power, glory, and their deepest desires, identified by the source. Then, there were those without either, the two nearby humans with no heightened any things, and oblivious to the unseen and unfelt of the mysterious powers that engulfed the area.

Sesshomaru thought on what matters does this object have with Inuyasha and his group. A moment was taken to ponder if the hanyou should know. They were in his land and such an artifact would be the target of many demons once they got a whiff of its power. Surly they would target any person in connection with himself in order to steal it. He looked to Kagome, "It is called the Moonlit Stone."

Inuyashas ears perked, "That old fairy tale?"

"What is it, Inuyasha?" Kagome looked back to her companion as she questioned to have never heard of such a thing before.

"Just some brats' bedtime story about how some wimpy god gave some wrench a rock that made her a god too. But it's just some fairy tale that I can't believe this sucker actually believes."

Unamused by his brother's antics, the older dog-demon coolly remarked, "It is no wonder that an incompetent ' _hanyou'_ cannot sense a potential threat even if it were announced and plated in front of ones face."

"FUCK YOU!"

"SIT!"

Catalina changed her sights to an abrupt crunch into the cold and frozen Earth, only to witness the red clad, with silver hair and furry ears, was laid sprawled in a miniature crater. She was sure he was attached by an unseen entity, but wondered why he seemed to be barking mad at Kagome. She may not know their language, but she assumed he was using curses.

Sesshomaru found it funny to witness such a pitiful creature be subjugated by a lowly human being, enough to cause a quick flash of a grin to appear but disappeared as fast as it came once he felt a more demonic energy approaching. This idle chit-chat had run its course and was long overdue for an end. "Inuyasha. A fairy tale, or not, I cannot allow such an artifact of potential devastation to ravage these lands. It will be stored within safe keeping until I find a solution to remove it from existence. You and your pact shall not interfere and return back to your human village."

"Hakai suru?" _("Destroy?"),_ was what was uttered from Kagomes' lips ever so softly. This made Catalina uneased with unknowing what was being said and looked back to the tall demon garbed in white and metal. She did not like this situation she was in, and this freak of nature was causing more harm than good. If he did not want to give up her fuel, and she valued her life against this dangerous threat, she figured to enter an agreement. Her fuel is obviously causing havoc and tension, so it would be fitting to rid it of this world by taking it back home, surly to never return again. She knew it would take time to get her machine up and running again, especially to review the stored books of its blueprints and engineering, but she couldn't let its source of energy become stolen again, or something worse. Sure she had the stone-reader device, but she knew its range was limited.

Catalina looked to Kagome as Inuyasha stood up with an angered expression back towards his brother. With a heavy sigh, she then gave a firm grip to her beloved pup in her arms and set determined eyes on the older brother. It was then she spoke.

"Kagome, I need you to translate something to _him_ …"

 **o end o**


End file.
